Truths
by Aileene
Summary: Unrequited is the most painful state to be in, but what happens when Robin's heart finally decides to speak up? Will the tower survive? Will He? RobRae fic...Enjoy
1. Admission

Couldn't she see it? For such a powerful empath, she seemed to be blind when it came to this emotion from him. Why couldn't she feel it?

He had thought the hug that she had given him, only him, had meant something, but no other offering of affection had been forthcoming.

He had thought that going into the depths of hell beside his worst enemy for her would lay his heart bare and she would see, but she seemed to remain oblivious.

He never realized how much pain was involved with staying only friends. When the only time he touched her or was touched by her, was during battle and combat training. He now prayed to get injured during such times, just to feel her cool hands on him for healing. He lived for the moments he managed to coax a smile or god forbid a small laugh from her.

Unrequited had to be the most painful state of being to exist in. His mind was filled with thoughts of her. Her sound, her scent, her touch…everything.

He sat in the dark, in front of the control screen, staring blankly, trying desperately to get over all he felt and go back to the way it had been before his heart had taken over.

Then she walked in. For so petite a woman, she sure managed to fill the room with her presence and make it difficult for him to breathe.

"Something is troubling you." Her monotone statement whispered over his nerve endings setting them afire, but he was almost used to that feeling by now.

"It's nothing really." He replied, not turning to look at her, forcing his body not to tense as her scent slid through the air around him.

"Nothing does not cause this amount of emotional discharge." She stepped forward, until she stood directly behind him, so when he finally turned in his chair he had to look up at her.

He ran a bare hand through his hair and sighed, damn her, couldn't she just look? Couldn't she just **_see_**?

"Robin, I want to help, I just need to know the problem and then we can work on it together." She tried a smile; it came off as a wry smirk. "After all, that's what you did for me."

"Raven, I don't know that you can help with what is bothering me, it's kind of personal." He met her eyes through his mask and prayed she would leave it at that, but knowing she wouldn't. After all he wasn't the only stubborn one on the team.

"So were Slade and Red X and any number of other problems we have had. What you say is personal, usually isn't terribly personal." This time she did smirk and lay a hand on his shoulder, which she quickly drew away with a frown when he flinched. "It's me, isn't it?"

Her voice was carefully devoid of emotion, but he knew he had hurt her and his heart cracked painfully in sympathy.

"God, no Raven." As he said it, he realized that he was telling a bald face lie and by her reaction, he knew she knew it.

"What have I done Robin?" Her voice masked her pain, but it shimmered lightly through their bond.

He stood and walked silently to the large windows over looking the bay, she followed at a distance. The moon was bright and very few clouds marred the sky above, causing them both to fall within the moonbeams as if actors on a stage.

"I'm in love with you." So tired of keeping it inside and hidden, his heart spoke and the words echoed around the room. There was no sound except their breathing and the hum of the computer he had recently abandoned.


	2. Seven days

**Okay once again a story is taking on a mind of it's own, my muse is having a Ball in my creative mind, so please be patient lol, let me know what you think. **

"Is this a joke? A way to make me leave you alone?" Her voice was soft and emotionless, in a way only she could affect. "Because I don't find it amusing, and it just may get you killed."

"A joke?" He gave a low mirthless laugh, "No joke here." He tone carried a bit of his arrogant 'what are you going to do about it' taunt he usual kept in reserve for battles.

"So," She began her voice still low, but cautious now. "You think you love me?"

"Think? Not at all," another small laugh, mocking this time, she wasn't sure if it was aimed towards herself or him, "I don't think I am in love with you Raven, I know it, as surely as the fact that I have to have oxygen to breathe."

"Well then, stop." Her voice was a bit strained now and a bit panicked, he thought.

"How am I supposed to stop, I didn't aim for this in the first place." He turned to face her and saw she had drawn her hood up to hide her face; her arms crossed defensively in front of her chest.

"Well then, pick someone else, anyone else." Her voice was hiding most of her emotional turmoil, but Robin knew her well enough to read it.

"Well green has always been a favorite color." He quipped, trying to lighten the mood and break down her defense some.

It took her a moment before the joke sunk in, unusually slow for her, a sure sign of the emotions vying for attention within her. "Yeah, but the pointy ears have always been what does it for me." Her voice was dry as dust and her retort broke a genuine chuckle out of him.

"Raven, don't shut me down, please." He turned serious again and took a step towards her, reaching out into forbidden territory to take her hood down so he could look into her eyes.

"Robin," She sighed his name, but didn't raise her hood back up or look away from his masked expression. "I am not sure what you want from me, am I supposed to yell my undying love and jump in your arms like the movies or beat the hell out of you for changing our friendship."

"While I would greatly enjoy you returning what I feel Raven, I don't want you to behave like anyone but yourself, that is who I love." He ran a hand through his hair, glancing away from her and then quickly back. "Our friendship doesn't have to change."

She smiled sadly at him, as if he were a child who didn't understand why his puppy wasn't coming home. "Robin, regardless of whether I return your affection or not, our friendship will never be the same, it has reached one of those crossroads. We can not go on as before, either I accept this and we move to a new level of relationship, or I don't and we stop being the friends we were, replacing it with something less." She put a hand up as he was about to speak. "If I don't want to move to this next level our friendship will never again have the level of honesty we have achieved. You will always feel the need to hide your true feelings or I will have to ignore them."

"If you choose to accept…" He paused, hope leaping in his chest and he took another step closer, stopping when she backed up.

"I don't know Robin," She looked away and then back, her eyes characteristically blank, she had regained her tenacious hold over her emotions once again. "I need time to consider whether or not I can allow myself this depth of emotion, or whether it is better to leave well enough alone. I knew this problem would appear eventually, I just never thought it would be you that I was dealing with." She shrugged slightly.

"Time? How much time will you need?" He asked, well aware that she hadn't shut him down, but also aware that she seemed to be approaching this in an almost academic manner. He wasn't sure if he should be relieved or worried about that.

She looked at him closely as she considered his question, she knew she couldn't make him wait indefinitely, Robin was too impatient for that; yet she really needed time to consider if she could let her heart go. She cared for him a great deal and knew that if she allowed it, maybe even if she didn't, she could love him as he wanted.

"A week." She answered finally, this would give her time to get herself in order and organize her own emotions, to see if they would grant her peace in this endeavor and see if the reality of a relationship with him was as feasible as the fantasy she had tried not to indulge in to often.

"A week?" He repeated, not sure if he was disappointed that it was so long or worried that it was too short.

"Seven full days Robin, I want you to really think about this as well." Her eyes bored into his behind his mask. "I don't want to upset the team dynamic or ruin what we have created. You are my best friend and although certain things have changed with this, I would rather you stay a friend than an enemy if this doesn't work out the way you want it. Make sure that you really want to move in this direction," Once again she held up a hand to stop him. "I don't want to talk to you about it or have you try and convince me, not for seven days."

"Seven days," He took a deep breath. "Okay, I can do that and I promise to think about it like you said." He tried his best smile on her, trying to put a few points in his column.

"Good night Robin, try to sleep." She said as she floated out of the room and into the welcoming arms of the dark hall.

"Good night Raven." He smiled slightly to himself, she hadn't said she didn't love him, she hadn't even said she wouldn't. "She just said she needed to think about it." He really couldn't expect anything less from her, she was a very methodical person, and he just hoped her thinking turned out in his favor. "Maybe some flowers would help with that." He said aloud to the empty room.


	3. Flowers

**Yes this one is very short, but I thought you all deserved something for hanging in there so far, I will try and make the next one longer. **

**So please read and enjoy**

**P.S. my handcuffs and rope are still unused, which means that I own none of them**

Flowers?

How was that leaving her alone? Raven stood at her bedroom door staring at the absurdly large bouquet of roses that Robin had thrust into her hands, before running off to the training room. Honestly she was a little worried about the out of character way he seemed to be reacting; then again she had never seen him try and court anyone else.

She tossed the flowers in the corner where she could deal with them later and moved to sit above her bed. Mediating on the problem seemed the wisest choice for her, repeating her mantra softly she slid into herself.

Perhaps he had been hexed by Jinx, that they could cure and it would save her this dilemma. Yet she had sensed no signs of magic on him, Raven was afraid she would have to face this problem head on.

Wait…

She fell onto her bed softly as that last thought ran through her mind, she was Raven, she didn't 'do' fear.

"Obviously I do today." She sighed to herself, repositioning and setting her mind back to Robin and the possibilities of a relationship.

Robin, she imagined him holding her and kissing her. She smiled at the thought and felt a warm glow flush her pale features; she heard a faint pop in the corner of the room and opened her eyes to see the bouquet of flowers now showering a portion of her domain.

She sighed; this is why it wouldn't be a good idea to pursue this course of action. She'd end up destroying the tower by the time he came to his senses and broke it off; and then she would end up killing him for breaking her heart. She sighed again, this was useless. All this emotion running around her heart and mind, sure they had more freedom now that her father was gone, but she maintained control for a reason, not because she particularly wanted to. Even with Trigon gone she could still lose her control and destroy everything she had fought so hard for; albeit that it was more difficult to lose control lately unless she didn't meditate when she should.

Robin…

Her Robin…


	4. Help

**SO this was longer than I thought it would be, but I wanted to get the other Titan's reactions to the tension that is in the tower at the moment. I also hope that I managed to at least partially get Starfire's voice. Ok the next chapter should be up soon and in it we will have the dreaded conversation and decision, although the way it is looking, that might come in two parts. I really hope that you like it/sigh**

**Disclaimer: I didn't own them the last three chapters, I sure don't own them now.**

"What is up with those two?" Beastboy muttered after yet another incident of Robin trying to talk to Raven and having her glare at him before disappearing somewhere into the tower.

"What are you mumbling about man?" Cyborg asked coming up beside the green changeling and grabbing the second controller to the game station, automatically resetting the game that BB had been playing.

With a half hearted protest BB reselected his racing character and turned to Cyborg as he did the same. "Robin and Raven, he did something to piss her off and she hasn't forgiven him for whatever it was yet."

"It took her a month to stop sticking you to the roof after you put baby oil in her shampoo, just be glad she isn't mad at you this time." Cyborg replied settling himself into a comfortable position so he could beat not only Beastboy, but the high score on the game.

"You have a point there, but come on..." He paused a moment to execute a move that blasted him ahead of Cyborg in the race, only to have it throw him off the course and start him back at the beginning. "Robin never pisses her off, even when he went all apprentice Red-X on us she didn't get mad like this."

"Again, what's it to you? Stop worrying about some fight that Robin and Raven are having and worry about the game. This isn't any fun when you keep falling off the track like that, at least let me bump you off." Cyborg grumbled. "I knew I would win, but man this is too easy."

"Knew you were going to win?" Beastboy screeched, forgetting his other team mates for the moment to concentrate on making Cyborg eat his words. "No way dude, I am so going to whoop you butt."

Robin walked into the control room in the middle of a loud argument about 'ownage' high scores and furious button smashing. He almost turned around and went back to his room, where the only noise he would encounter would be his own, but for once he was getting sick of just himself for company and Raven's glares were starting to wear on him after three days.

Starfire zoomed into the room in a cloud of perfume and song, thankful a popular earth melody rather than one of her more traditional ones. She was making a bee line for the kitchen when she noticed Robin standing uncertainly in the middle of the room.

"Robin," She asked moving next to him, "Is something the matter?"

"What?" Robin came back to himself, inhaling the scent of candy and flowers that was so distinctly female and Starfire. He smiled slightly at her, trying to force the memory of the scent of spice and ice away from his mind. "I'm fine Star; just a little distracted is all."

"Are you certain Friend?" She eyed him closely, Star may not have seemed like the smartest girl on the planet, but she was acutely perceptive of her friends and their emotions after being near them for so long. "You seem more sad that distracted and I do not like to see any of you sad."

He gave another tight smile, trying to come up with a pleasant lie to shake off her concern when Raven entered the room. Her usually impassive face was lost in thought and he could only hope that it had to do with him.

Starfire noticed the way Robin's gaze clung to Raven as she moved past them and headed towards the windows to begin her meditation, she also noticed the way that Raven's eyes unwilling met his.

"Friend Raven, might I meditate with you this morning?" Starfire asked suddenly, an innate need to fix her friends filling her.

"Of course Star." Her tone was as passive as always. She quickly enfolded herself in her cloak and settled into her lotus position, forcibly shoving her mind away from Robin and the shock of heat she had received from his gaze.

His emotions quickly turning into an erratic mess in his heart, Robin quickly left the room heading straight towards the training room to try and empty his own mind.

"Raven, what is wrong with Robin?" Starfire spoke quietly so she wasn't overheard by the Titans on the couch a few feet away.

"How would I know?" Surprise at the question caused her own to come out more harshly that she had intended.

"He looks at you."

"He isn't blind Star, he looks at everyone." Purposely she mistook her friend's statement.

"I do not think that he is happy." Starfire insisted.

"He brought it on himself." Raven turned in the air to look at Star, who was mirroring her position.

"You know why he is not happy." Starfire fluttered her hands as she spoke, still careful to keep her voice down.

Raven sighed, knowing that Star would not give up until she found the truth and how to fix it. "Yes I know why he isn't happy."

"Raven, are you why he is not happy?"

Unable to avoid the caring and imploring gaze of the alien girl, Raven swallowed the harsh retort she had formed and answered carefully. Even though Star was now dating Aqualad, she had once had an enormous amount of feeling towards Robin and the last thing Raven wanted right now was an angry Starfire.

"He cares too much Star and I don't know if I can care the way he wants to." She blew out a breath, "He is ruining our friendship and I don't know what to do."

"Are you not the reason he is unhappy?" Star repeated her question, thinking maybe rephrasing it would get her the answer she was looking for.

"Yes, sort of…it's complicated." Raven defended herself.

"There is only one thing that you must do if this is so." Starfire said, staring straight into Raven's eyes, she was aware of so much more than anyone ever gave her credit for.

"What's that?" Raven responded dryly, expecting the making of pudding and some folk song from Tameran to be part of the cure.

"Make him happy." Star replied wisely, taking Raven's hand in hers and squeezing it reassuringly.

"Star," Raven shook her head, "How could I possibly make anyone happy?"

"We are your friends; how could you not make us happy?" She smiled, "How could you not make Robin happy?"

"I can't," Raven's voice was so quiet Star almost missed it.

"You are afraid."

"How could I be anything but afraid?" She looked at her friend with some desperation, "I don't know how to love, not like he wants…not like he needs."

"He thinks you can and that is all that matters my friend." Star patted Raven's hand again, "You do not need to meditate, you must go to him."

"Star…" Raven's voice trailed off as she was lead out of the room by the other girl, "I don't think this is a good idea."

Starfire paused briefly to consult her communicator to locate Robin, "He is on the roof, go to him."

"Fine, I give up." Raven threw her hands in the air after the doors to the control room whooshed shut and headed towards the roof with Starfire hot on her heels to make sure she didn't detour anywhere else.

"Raven," Star said as they reached the door leading to the roof.

"What Star?" Fear caused her voice to sharpen and she glared at the green eyed alien.

"Make him happy." Starfire smiled widely giving Raven a small shove towards the door before turning back to head to the kitchen for the mustard she had originally been looking for when she woke up.

"Yeah, make him happy…sure." Raven muttered, pushing open the door and stepping out onto the roof. Studiously she ignored the flipping of her heart when the lone figure turned and watched her as she crossed towards him.

"Raven," The way he said her name sent sparks down her spine and caused her knees to weaken.

"Robin," She coolly gave him a nod and stood beside him, looking across the bay and not at him. "We need to talk."

"I know."


	5. Discussion

**Okay here is chapter 5...and 'The Talk' lol, it still isn't over yet though, because neither one of these characters is going to fall to love so easily and most especially not Raven. :)**

**Read and Review pls :)**

**Disclaimer: Not mine, but I completely enjoy them (wink wink)**

"Talking usually involves speaking aloud." Robin said after they had stood awhile in silence, his nerves on edge, but a small smile fixed on his face.

"Not always," She looked at him out of the corner of her eye, "Not with us."

He gave a sharp laugh, "True, but despite the bond; despite our friendship I still don't know how to read your mind. Especially when you are as closed off as you are now."

"Yet you still think that love is what you feel?" Curiosity caused the question to slip past her lips, revealing a vulnerability she had hoped to keep hidden.

"I already told you, I don't think I love you Raven." Now he turned to look at her, face and posture serious. "I know I love you, even if you decide to run from this that fact won't change."

"Love is a volatile emotion Robin, it changes simply by being." Raven replied, still not looking fully at him but over the ocean that their tower stood above. "Love destroys; love hurts; with love there is loss."

"Without love there is destruction; without love there is loss," He searched his mind desperately for the correct words, he knew that should he make one misstep she would be gone. "Can you honestly say that rejecting love will cause you any less pain?"

"I don't know," She frowned trying to keep her rising desperation from showing, "I just don't know."

"I can't tell you what to feel or what to think Raven," He reached out and gently turned her until their gazes met. "But I think that fear is winning in whatever emotional battle you are having."

"What else am I supposed to feel?" Raven asked, her voice rising slightly as her vulnerability increased under his watchful gaze. "I don't know love, I know fear and anger and hate."

"Love isn't so hard to find, you are surrounded by it here." He smiled and softly squeezed her shoulders. "All the Titans love you Raven and I know that you love them as well."

"This is different, this is change." She sighed and shook her head as if to clear it of the confusion. "Everything changes. I hate change."

"I thought fighting change was pointless?" He asked softly, realizing that whatever her decision she needed a guide on this trip through her emotional jungle.

"Just because I don't fight it doesn't mean I can't hate it." She replied reasonably.

"So is it the change or love that scares you the most?"

"I don't understand how you can," She looked at him with beseeching eyes, neither noticed the sun setting beside them; both were so intent on their conversation. "How can you love me after all I have done, all that I might do?"

"How can I not love you after all that you have endured, after all that you have done for me; for your friends?" Robin replied simply wondering if she could ever see what he saw in her.

"I destroyed the world."

"Your father did that and you restored it."

"Only to save you," She paused as the impact of that statement took the breath from her. "Only to save you." She whispered it again, her large purple eyes meeting his masked ones.

"You saved us all." He said quietly, trying to stamp down on the hope that sprang up at her words and her tone.

"I saved everyone to save you." The stunning realization had momentarily knocked her off balance. "If you hadn't been there, if you hadn't gone through what you did to save me…" Her voice trailed off.

"Destiny can be a funny thing." He smiled at her, "You once told me that destiny can't be changed, you were destined to be the portal and you were. I must have been destined to rescue you so you could save the world Raven."

"Destiny," She sighed as puzzle pieces began to click into place in her mind. "Love, destiny, hope…you believe in these words, you live these words and I don't know that I can."

"You already do," He moved a hand from her shoulder to her chin so he could hold her eyes to his. "You are the epitome of hope Raven, I told you this once before. The called you evil, told you your destiny was to destroy and you strived to be good and to create; there is more hope and love in you than any other person I have ever met."

"You don't meet the right kind of people then." She replied dryly to cover the emotion that he managed to reveal with only a few words. "I can't say I love you, I don't know that I ever will be able to."

"Sometimes the words aren't so important." He smiled softly, knowing that the heart had won today.

"Someday the words will be everything." The wisdom in her eyes set him aback. "You can't settle for what little I might be able to give you."

"I'm not settling for anything Raven," He insisted wondering what he could say to break through to her heart directly. "I love you." He enunciated every word carefully. "You still have three days left of the seven you asked for." He reminded her.

"I know," She moved from his touch and looked out at the quickly darkening sky. "I need to think more on this." She glanced over her shoulder at him. "I need to know that this isn't a mistake."

"I know," He repeated her words and moved to stand beside her again. "But did you ever think that you might over think this? Maybe it is time to listen to your heart, to your emotions instead of trying to deal with this in logic."

"Maybe," She conceded turning back to the sky and her thoughts. "Maybe I just don't know how to turn logic off; maybe I don't have a heart."

He laughed loudly at her last statement startling her, "A heart Raven?" He reached out once again and tilted her head until she was looking him in the eye. "That isn't one of your worries at all, you have plenty of heart, and you just need to learn how to hear it." Unable to help himself he leaned down and brushed a soft kiss across her lips before stepping back and leaving the roof.

She lifted her fingers to her humming lips, even with such a gentle kiss she could taste him and her body flooded with warmth. Maybe listening to her heart wasn't such a bad idea.

"Hello heart," She whispered into the gentle night breeze, "Tell me, what am I supposed to do?"


	6. Unexpected Conversations

**Wisdom comes from the most unexpected places :) This kind of scrambled in my brain so I hope I got the whole thing out and written in a coherent manner and that you enjoy this chapter as we move closer to the conclusion.**

**Read and Review pls :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

A storm was breaking just off the horizon. Somewhere in the back of her mind she smirked at the thought.

"There is a storm breaking here," She sighed. "And I really don't know who will be left standing when this is over."

As the clouds moved in pregnant with the rain that was soon to fall and lightening flashed off in the distance her thoughts turned inward. Wrapping her cloak tightly around her against the blowing wind she closed her eyes and pictured the face behind her problems.

Robin…The almighty Boy Wonder had once again sent her spiraling into territory where she was lost and afraid of what she might find.

"Love is nothing but trouble." She muttered to herself as the first drops of rain fell and the wind picked up in intensity.

Raven couldn't ignore the fact that she did, in fact, love him. That didn't make her decision any easier; because she wasn't sure she _wanted_ to love him. "Stupid bird brain, you are bound and determined to make my life a mess."

The fact that she was standing alone on the roof of their tower in a late summer storm and talking to herself didn't help her mood at all. "Sure screw up Raven's emotions, good idea."

"Talking to yourself is one of the signs of insanity, I'm pretty sure." The rumbling baritone surprised her, as she hadn't heard Cyborg come out onto the roof.

"If it's the only sign I show then we are all lucky." She murmured with the appropriate dryness, turning her head so she could look at him as he moved up to stand beside her. "You're getting wet."

"I'll dry," He shrugged meeting her gaze he saw the slight shadows beneath her eyes and despite his conversation with Beastboy a few days ago, he too had noticed the tension that had cropped up between Raven and Robin. "Tell me dark girl, what has you not sleeping now?"

"It's nothing," Raven wanted to shrug off his concern, but she knew that she had to talk to someone…other than herself, since that was only running her around in circles. "What do you know about love?" She was careful to keep all emotion out of her voice.

If Cyborg was surprised by her question he didn't show it, he only gazed off into the pouring rain and pondered the question and his answer for a few moments before he spoke. "I'm not sure I know a whole lot about it really, I used to think I did." He paused as memories flashed in his mind. "I thought that it was what made life easy, something that made you better, ya know?"

"I think so." Raven replied when he paused, "What made you change your mind?"

He gave a mirthless chuckle, "The same thing that changed everything in my life, the accident and what happened after." He forced the image of a pretty, tearful face from his mind and continued. "I was in love before it happened and I thought that she loved me. She may have, and we may have been those high school sweethearts that everyone is always mooning over in those chick flicks that Star watches, but the accident changed me and it changed her. We became strangers and I realized that love might make life better, but it sure as hell didn't make it easier." He shook himself and smiled down at Raven. "I didn't really answer your question though did I? Let me think, what do I know about love?" He gave another laugh, this time with humor behind it. "I love the Titans, all of you. You've become my family and through you all I have discovered myself and become more than I thought possible."

"I just don't understand it," She blew a breath out and turned from him to gaze out at the city lights. "Do you choose love or does it choose you? Why is it all so confusing?"

"You can think it to death little sister and you still won't understand it all." He thought a moment. "Does love choose you? I don't know, maybe…I have found myself in love with someone that I shouldn't have even given a second look. Love is a tricky emotion Raven, it hides behind, under and around so many other emotions that it's hard to pick out sometimes, but you shouldn't close yourself off from it."

"He's an idiot, how am I supposed to know what to do with him Cyborg?" Desperation and fear crept into her voice and she struggled to snuff it out.

"He loves you Raven," Cyborg smiled at her startled look. "Hey, I would have to be blind, deaf and dumb not to notice the tension between you and gel-head. I like to think I am a little better than Beastboy."

"Anyone is better than Beastboy Cyborg, that isn't saying much." She smirked at him, starting to feel a little more at ease in their conversation. "Robin wants me to tell him I love him, I don't know if I can."

"Then don't," Cyborg shrugged a shoulder, "He isn't going to make you say something or do something you aren't ready for. If he tries, he'll find out how many ways I can fold a multi-colored hero in half."

"I can't leave him waiting on me forever."

"Just tell him the truth Raven," He sighed and ran a hand over his face to wipe off some of the water. "Maybe he is just as confused and afraid of this as you are, did you ever think about that?"

"He doesn't act confused," She replied sharply, "He acts like he knows everything that is going on with his emotions."

"Robin is almost as good as you are at hiding how he feels." Cyborg raised a hand to stop her comment. "That doesn't mean he doesn't love you, that doesn't mean he is lying to you. It just means that this might not be any easier on him than it is on you. Worse yet for him is the fact that he doesn't know your answer. Every day that you leave him waiting probably terrifies him. If I know Robin, and I happen to know him pretty well, he is probably thinking that not only has he lost any chance at your love, but your friendship as well."

"Great, make this even easier on me." Raven grumbled feeling her emotions hit a razor's edge at the thought of losing Robin completely.

"Like I said, love isn't easy. If it was meant to be easy it wouldn't be so important, if you didn't have to work so hard on it what would be the point dark girl?" He laid an arm around her shoulder and turned her towards the door. "Let's get out of the rain before we get sick."

"Rain doesn't make you sick." She protested, but allowed him to lead her into the tower.

"You never do anything haphazardly Raven, you never take a risk you haven't calculated from every angle." He shook his head to clear off a little bit more water. "Try taking a leap of faith, we both know Robin won't hurt you if he can help it."

"I'm not sure I have the kind of faith this kind of leap needs." She pushed the hood back from her cloak and shrugged slightly.

"Trust me; it'll hurt more if you don't try."

"When did you become so wise?" She raised a brow at him.

"Ha…I fumbled through most of this on my own." He smirked at her, "Not so much wisdom as living, ya know what I mean?"

"Yeah, I think so," She turned to head towards her room and a dry uniform before a thought struck her and she glanced at him over her shoulder. "Does that mean you think I haven't been living?"

His face serious he gave a quick nod, "You're afraid of living Rae, we all are in our own way I guess, but you tend to hide from life." He shook his head when she opened her mouth to say something. "I know that you have to maintain a certain control over your emotions, but that doesn't mean you can't have them."

They turned from each other and headed their separate directions, Cyborg in search of a certain gel-headed leader and Raven off in search of warm, dry clothes, mulling over her conversation with Cyborg.

She hadn't thought she could be more confused, she'd been wrong.


	7. Desperate Times and Desperate Measures

**And we are entering the home stretch, we start in the middle of a conversation between Raven and BB...she should have known better. Cyborg offers Robin some important advice. **

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**Disclaimer:None of them belong to me.  
**

"The Titans don't really have much luck in the love category," He paused giving her a winking smirk. "Although all the ladies love me."

"I'm sure," Raven replied, barely stifling her groan, after all she had come to him. "So you're saying that Titans shouldn't risk it then."

"Not at all," His green face was earnest, "I'm saying we should embrace it as soon as it shows up or we might not have the chance. I didn't get a chance to say everything I should have when Terra was here and now," He gave a shrug and a quick laugh to cover up the vulnerability he felt at the subject. "Now it's too late."

"You seem to be doing fine." Raven said.

"I'm always fine," He wiggled his eyebrows at her and grinned, Raven just groaned, wondering if it really was possible for a head to explode when it was so full of ego. "Seriously though, with what we do we should be the first ones leaping at everything we can, not avoiding it." He gave her a knowing look.

"I'm not avoiding," She looked over his shoulder at the paused game station, wondering when she had become so transparent.

"Uh-huh…dude…uh…Rae, if you aren't avoiding then just what are you doing?" Beastboy asked rubbing a hand on the back of his neck.

"Thinking," She paused and turned a glare onto him.

He swallowed, "Man, you came to me." He defended himself. "You're really screwed up if you're coming to me for love advice, even I know that."

"You are such a big help," She deadpanned before standing.

"Raven," He sighed and wondered if she would kill him for what he was about to say. "Stop talking to us and go talk to Robin, even I managed to talk to the person I fell for."

"A big help," She repeated with another glare, leaving the room before she did something she might regret later.

"Man, love makes chicks cranky." Beastboy muttered to himself, making dead sure that Raven had left the room beforehand.

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"Well this is pointless," Robin sighed and walked to the benches that lined the training room; he grabbed a towel and wiped the sweat from his face.

"Catch," Cyborg called tossing a bottle of water in Robin's direction, only his amped agility enabled him to catch the bottle before it hit him in the head.

"Uh, thanks?" Robin wasn't sure he liked the look on the older man's face, he wondered if Beastboy had downloaded another virus into him.

"So," Cyborg sat on the bench, "How's things?"

"Every thing seems fine," Robin paused to take a swig of the water and sit a few feet away from his friend, still unsure of where this conversation was heading. "City has been quiet, but I suppose that just means we are doing a good job."

"Yeah, it's nice to have some downtime," Cyborg agreed with a nod, his unblinking red eye boring into Robin.

"Cyborg? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Glare. "How are you? You _feeling_ okay?"

"Well the fact that you keep glaring at me like I stole the T-car and scratched the paint is making me feel a little uneasy, but other than that I'm fine." Bemused Robin took another swig of water, enjoying the way it cooled his parched throat.

Cyborg wasn't really good at subtlety, he decided honesty would be best here and if he didn't hear the answers he wanted; well he'd just make Robin a gel-stain on the training mat. "Raven,"

Robin bobbled the water and stared at the mechanical man. "Uh…Raven?"

"Do I look stupid? Be careful how you answer that man." Cyborg warned.

"You know?" He had wanted to keep it under wraps until Raven had made her decision; he wondered where he had gone wrong.

"I'm not blind," Cyborg shook his head, wondering if he was going to have the same conversation he had had with Raven not long ago. "Besides, she told me, you've got her messed up man."

"She's got me messed up," Robin replied with feeling, "I don't know what to do."

"Well you are going to have to figure something out," Cyborg's voice rumbled with a threat. "Are you messin' with her man? Because if you are, you need to back off like yesterday."

"Cyborg, you know me better than that." He defended himself, briefly wondering if he should move a little farther from Cyborg's reach. "Besides, she knows how to take care of herself."

"Not the point," Cy said arching a look in Robin's direction. "She doesn't need to be going through this if you aren't sincere or if you are going to hurt her."

"I don't want to hurt her," Robin moaned and thumped his head back against the wall, "That's the last thing I want."

"You love her." Cyborg kept his eye on Robin, watching and reading each movement and heartbeat like a lie detector machine.

"Yeah, I love her," He sighed his eyes still closed, "Doesn't seem to matter much though, I don't think she believes me."

"Oh, she believes you man, that's what has her all tied up in knots." Cyborg disagreed, nodding his head when Robin snapped up and stared at him.

"Did she tell you that?"

"I repeat, and lord knows why I keep having to repeat this to you two, I am not blind and I am not an idiot." Cy shook his head, his mouth a grim line. "She keeps running from you and you keep letting her."

"What am I supposed to do? Corner her and tie her up until we hash this out? I don't know about you, but I kinda like this dimension and living." Robin shook his own head at the hopelessness of his situation.

"I have never known you to give up when you wanted something." Cyborg said.

"I'm not giving up," He denied, "I just don't know what to do, if I make the wrong move I'll lose her."

"If you make the right one you'll have her for as long as you're smart enough to keep her."

Robin sighed and banged his head against the wall again.

"You keep doing that man and you're going to end up in a coma." Cy warned with a smirk.

"Give me an idea Cy, I am open to nearly anything…well anything that won't get me killed." Robin amended.

"Talk to her, damn man," Cyborg tried not to laugh at the despondent look on Robin's face, he really should find so much amusement in his friend's pain, but finding Robin this befuddled was rather funny. "I would think that someone with your intelligence would figure that out."

"I've tried talking, it doesn't work."

"Have you tried…uh…?" Cyborg tried to think of a delicate way to put it and not think about it at the same time, "Uh…seducing her?"

"Excuse me?" He couldn't have heard that correctly.

"You heard me and I am not going to repeat it," Cyborg fell back to glaring, "You ought to know how to kiss a girl by now, and I do not, I repeat do not…want to know any details that include Raven and…seduction in the same sentence." He paused, "I think I need to wash my brain or punch something."

"Heh," Robin squirmed a little before continuing with the conversation. "To answer your question; no I haven't, I don't want to pressure her."

"Lord have mercy on me," Cyborg begged the ceiling with some desperation; he was beginning to wish he had left well enough alone. "Maybe she needs to…oh god…_experience_…how much you care. Don't look at me like that; I'm just talking about some handholding and a kiss…a very chaste kiss." Feeling a little bit like he was drowning Cyborg leapt to his feet and began pacing.

"Well," Robin mulled the idea over in his mind. "I suppose it could work. I told her I would give her a week to decide."

"How much longer?"

"Today is the last day," Robin replied feeling sudden panic, he leapt to his own feet and started to head out the door. "I need to get busy."

"Chaste," Cyborg yelled after him. "You damn well better be chaste."


	8. Changes

**Oh dear goddess, I did it :) finally lol. I thought the end would be more of an explosion...but well, you'll see. I hope you have enjoyed this story. I have a half written 9th chapter, but I don't know that I am going to post it here since this wraps up nicely here, we'll see :)**

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**Disclaimer: I didn't own them the last 7 chapters, I don't own them in this one either.**

At the moment confusion and consideration were the foremost emotions on Raven's mind. She sat in the alcove behind the kitchen in the control room and tried to meditate in the dark. She wasn't altogether certain where the other Titans had disappeared to, but she enjoyed the silence.

She had spoken the truth to Robin when she had said that she knew little of love, her childhood just hadn't been conducive to nurturing that kind of emotion. The monks had known how volatile it was and how much harm could be caused from it.

All other emotion, at least in her experience, stemmed from love. You could have anger, happiness, sadness, all the emotions without love, but for the most part they remained separate entities. None of them fed off of each other the way they could all feed off of love.

Simply put, love was dangerous, especially for her. Raven knew that her friendships with the Titans, her family, had a certain amount of love in it now. She also knew that she was freer to deal with her emotions now, but love like Robin wanted was a frightening thing. She would admit to herself at least, that it terrified her.

"Why Robin, why?" She whispered quietly to herself. "You can never leave well enough alone can you?"

She heard the whisper of a sound behind her, bracing herself she unfolded from her meditation pose and turned to look at the intruder.

"Hello," All thought froze in his mind as he looked at her, she was always beautiful, but the shadows were her home and they brought out a unique kind of beauty that took his breath away.

She continued to stare at him, her gaze steady and unwavering. It revealed none of the turmoil that boiled inside her.

"Raven," Robin began again, carefully rehearsing his game plan in his mind. "You look beautiful."

She arched a brow at him and then glanced down at her uniform. "I look the same as I do every day."

"You're always beautiful," He gave a small smile and held up a hand to keep her from interrupting. "I know you don't believe me, but you are. I've written enough really bad poetry about your hair and eyes that I have had time to contemplate each of your fine points."

"Poetry?" Her voice was dry and if possible her brow seemed to arch even higher.

"Heh," He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck embarrassed, but determined to go on. "Yeah, I thought it might persuade you to see how I felt, but I don't think any of it should see the light of day."

"I know how you feel," She scrunched her brow in confusion, "You told me remember?"

"People say a lot of things Raven; you've heard the words before." He shrugged. "I realized that words aren't enough, they don't even begin to explain how I feel…what I feel."

"Robin, I know I told you that I would have a decision tonight but…" She grimaced, she hated not keeping her word, but her fear had her frozen at indecision.

"No," Robin shook his head at her, "I shouldn't have asked for a time limit. What I feel isn't going to expire at midnight no matter what you say." He took a chance and reached out to put his hand on her arm to draw her a little closer, when she didn't resist he ran it down her arm and held on to her hand. "I love you Raven and it scares the hell out of me." He admitted softly.

"It scares you?" Surprise had her jerking her gaze up to meet his.

He gave a harsh chuckle, "You think any of this has been easy for me?" He tilted his head and smiled at her. "I don't know what you are going to say in the end, I feel like I have jumped off the top of the tower and realized that my grappling gun is missing."

"Why then Robin?" She asked curious, "Why even bring this up if it is only going to cause pain, frustration and fear?"

"Because it hurt more not to say anything Raven," He shrugged a shoulder and ran his fingers softly over her hand, reveling in the smoothness of her skin.

"I don't know what to do with all this," Raven replied hesitantly, slowly picking her way through the emotional mine field she had been avoiding for the last week. "So much can go wrong here, I don't even know if I can love like you want Robin."

"You already do Raven," He smiled at her startled look. "We wouldn't even be having this discussion if you didn't, you would have given me an answer immediately if you didn't love me. We both know that, you loving me; me loving you. That isn't really the problem is it?"

"No," She agreed, "I like to know that the sun is going to rise in the morning and set in the evening. I find comfort in the fact that Beastboy is never funny and that Star is always optimistic. This is change, complete and utter change Robin. I have to step onto the bridge and hope that it will hold my weight."

"Our weight, you aren't in this alone."

"You can't be inside my head; you don't know what this is doing to my emotions." She shook her head and stared off over his shoulder.

"It can't be any different for you than it is for me." He disagreed. "Batman was my mentor, his training made it completely clear that relationships for heroes don't work. I believed that until I met you. Honestly Raven, I can't not try to make this work with you."

"Why me?" She tilted her head again, her gaze curious and Robin wondered if she realized how tightly she was now gripping his hand.

He smiled, after a week of thought this was an easy question. "I love you. It's as simple and complex as that. I'm fascinated by you. Being with you, belonging to you is worth everything I have ever gone through."

"I can't give you any guarantees, doesn't that mean anything?" She asked softly as he took her hand and pressed a kiss into the palm.

"I don't need any guarantees; I only need you to love me." Robin drew her to him and rested his cheek against the top of her head.

"I do." She whispered softly, curving her body to fit his. "I do."


End file.
